The Forums, which have functioned in one way or another since 1996, have now been closed to new posting. However there is a wealth of accumulated wisdom that can be searched for and utilized, so we've archived the messages.
Join our new forum on Facebook, the Eat Right 4 Your Type Group.

I think their is also a flaw in the waist to hip ratio as well as the BMI. My WHR is .8125 to be exact...slightly high for a female. The waist to height ratio makes much more sense because it is a ratio of horizontal girth to vertical height. If you are as wide as you are long then you are obviously too heavy where it matters most in terms of health.

My WHtR is .47 less than half of my height and my lipid profile and blood sugar numbers could not be better.

OTOH my WHR and WHtR are suggestive of a ruler body type for a woman. Pop culture often refers to this body type as a thin apple shape. but it really looks more like a bananna or a chili pepper IMO.

OK. My problem here is that 2 persons of the same height and sex can achieve the same BMI even though one is thin but muscular where as the other is mildly overweight.

The only solution to this that I can see is to track various options (i.e. BMI, waist to height ratio, waist to hip ratio) against health outcomes over a period of time.

None of these measuring systems are what you could call difficult but only some sort of 'comparison race' will determine which is more accurate. Underlying is the assumption that 'excess weight is trouble' but how do you measure it?

There are calipers that are used to measure fat but not sure how that factors into a waist measurement. It's clearly a problem to have a large waist...There are also ways to weigh a personunder water and measure their fat percentage. Fat floats...so muscle weight would be taken intoaccount and give an accurate reading of how much fat to lean.

I am familiar with the callipers method and I think the weight in water sounds good as well. Both can resolve the fat/muscle issue.

Thing here as well is just how overweight (or underweight) does anyone have to be before it makes any measurable difference? I would think that either waist/hip or waist/height would be an improvement over BMI simply because you are assessing the part of the body than acquires fat first relative to the rest of the body. For practical purposes I think either of these 'easy tests' would do.

That is there may be a margin of error but it is no more than the margin that separates normal weight from problem weight.

Everyone into the pool....I think it's the only really precise way to measure body fat accurately.

I think you would know if your middle is fat or muscular....whether you have love handles ora big rolling belly. And whether you've exercised to increase muscle mass. And of course ifyou're eating right.

Belly fat is the biggest problem....The omentum....layers of fat that you know isn't muscle. Fatwould hang...or be flabby...Muscle is solid and you can't pinch very much of it.

I'm not an expert....I just know the scale is not a good indicator of fat loss...and obviously other ways of measuring body fat has variables...

It's still a rough estimate, and there's still going to be a range of "normal" percentages. Some women are just "skinnier" than others, even at healthy weights. Women who've given birth may have larger bellies because the muscles are stretched out- whether or not they're carrying extra fat there too. This is especially true for women who've had multiple pregnancies and/or surgical births.

It also goes without saying that this isnt' accurate during pregnancy or in the immediate post-partum period, but I think even conventional doctors know that much.

It's still a rough estimate, and there's still going to be a range of "normal" percentages. Some women are just "skinnier" than others, even at healthy weights. Women who've given birth may have larger bellies because the muscles are stretched out- whether or not they're carrying extra fat there too. This is especially true for women who've had multiple pregnancies and/or surgical births.

It also goes without saying that this isnt' accurate during pregnancy or in the immediate post-partum period, but I think even conventional doctors know that much.

So, I understand that this is a rough estimate, however, I am 27.5-28 this am at 5'3 almost 5'4. I think losing 2 inches would make me feel more confident about my body and health.

do you think if I lower my portions or do not eat as often, this would help to lose inches?

You need to eat enough food or weight loss will stall. Be careful not to reduce your portions too much. Exercise is a key to fat loss for most O's, and abdominal exercises will target the muscles in that area, making your waist smaller. Be careful with the choice of ab exercises, as it's possible to damage muscles (especially if they're already weak) and make your belly stick out even more (and cause backaches) if you're not careful.

You need to eat enough food or weight loss will stall. Be careful not to reduce your portions too much. Exercise is a key to fat loss for most O's, and abdominal exercises will target the muscles in that area, making your waist smaller. Be careful with the choice of ab exercises, as it's possible to damage muscles (especially if they're already weak) and make your belly stick out even more (and cause backaches) if you're not careful.

Got it, thanks! I think this was happening regarding the exercises I was doing in the past.